Method for recycling metallic sludge

ABSTRACT

A method for recycling metallic sludge material includes collecting and precipitating a metallic sludge, and dehydrating the metallic sludge into a dehydrated metallic sludge. The dehydrated metallic sludge is then heated to a temperature ranging from 550 to 850° C., in order to remove hydrogen materials form the dehydrated metallic sludge, and to convert the dehydrated metallic sludge into oxidized metallic particles. The dehydrated metallic sludge may further be crushed into small metallic particles, before heating the dehydrated metallic sludge. The oxidized metallic particles may further be heated to a temperature ranging from 1100 to 1600° C., in order to convert the oxidized metallic particles into a metal ingot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for recycling metallic mud or sludge material, and more particularly to a method for recycling and converting the metallic sludge material into useful metal products.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical electrical industrial plants of factories, electrical plating or forming factories, or other factories or manufacturers may generate a large quantity of metallic mud or sludge that normally comprises a number of heavy metals therein, and that may seriously pollute our environment, particularly, the metallic mud or sludge have seriously pollute our soil in the earth.

Particularly, electrical industries have been greatly developed recently, and the factories or manufacturers for manufacturing electric circuit boards may require to apply a number of copper plating or materials onto the circuit boards, in order to form electric circuits on the circuit boards. However, many defective products may normally be generally, and may probably be discarded without being treated or recycled.

In addition, while manufacturing the electric circuit boards, a large number of chemical solutions may be required to clean or to wash the circuit boards, such that the chemical solutions may further pollute our environment.

Some of the factories or manufacturers may collect and crush the defective electric circuit boards, and then introduce acid solution materials to the crushed materials, and may further add aluminum foils or powders into the crushed materials, in order to dissolute or to dissolve the metal materials from the crushed materials, and then to collect the metal materials may such as filtering processes, or the like. However, the acid solution materials may also seriously pollute our environment.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional methods for recycling metallic sludge materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a method for recycling and converting the metallic sludge or mud material into useful metal products.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for recycling metallic sludge material comprising collecting and precipitating a metallic sludge, dehydrating the metallic sludge into a dehydrated metallic sludge, heating the dehydrated metallic sludge to a temperature ranging from 550 to 850° C., in order to remove hydrogen materials form the dehydrated metallic sludge, and to convert the dehydrated metallic sludge into oxidized metallic particles.

The oxidized metallic particles may be packaged to form as a product, for such as commercial purposes. The dehydrated metallic sludge may further be crushed into small metallic particles, before heating the dehydrated metallic sludge.

The oxidized metallic particles may further be heated to a temperature ranging from 1100 to 1600° C., in order to convert the oxidized metallic particles into a metal ingot. The metal ingot may be packaged to form as a product.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for recycling metallic sludge material in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart similar to FIG. 1, illustrating a simplified procedure or method for recycling metallic sludge material; and

FIG. 3 is a chart showing the specific heat and the other characteristics of various materials.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a method for recycling metallic sludge material in accordance with the present invention comprises collecting a metallic mud or sludge and/or waste water from such as the factories or manufacturers for manufacturing electric circuit boards, in which the metallic mud or sludge or the waste water may comprise or contain a large quantity of copper ions or materials therein.

The metallic mud or sludge or the waste water may first be precipitated or sedimented, in order to suitably separate the metallic mud or sludge from the water, or to remove or to separate some of the water from the metallic mud or sludge, in order to form the metallic mud or sludge 10, as shown in FIG. 1. The metallic mud or sludge is then subjected or treated with a dehydrating process 11, in order to further separate or remove some of the water, such as 65-85% of the water from the metallic mud or sludge, in order to form the dehydrated metallic mud or sludge 12.

The dehydrated metallic mud or sludge 12 is then ground or crushed into smaller particles or powder materials by such as vibrator machines, crusher machines, grinding machines, etc., in order to form the smaller metallic particles 13. For example, the dehydrated metallic mud or sludge 12 may first be subjected with a vibrating process with the vibrator machines, in order to separate the larger or greater blocks or particles from the smaller particles, and then to crush or to grind the larger or greater blocks or particles into the smaller particles or metallic particles 13.

The smaller metallic particles 13 are then disposed into a high temperature oven 14, for being heated to a high temperature of about 550-850° C., in order to burn or to remove the hydrogen materials form the metallic particles 13, and to convert the metallic particles 13 into the oxidized metallic particles 15. The oxidized metallic particles 15 may be packaged in a process 16, in order to form the products 17 of the oxidized metallic particles 15, for such as commercial purposes. However, normally, the products 17 of the oxidized metallic particles 15 may comprise only a small percentage of the copper materials contained therein.

For obtaining a higher percentage of the copper materials therein, the oxidized metallic particles 15 may then further be disposed into a high temperature furnace 18, such as a copper refining furnace 18, which may heat the oxidized metallic particles 15 to a high temperature of about 1100-1600° C. that is greater than the melting point (1083° C.) of the copper materials (Cu), and/or greater than the melting point (1539° C) of the ferrite materials (Fe), as shown in FIG. 3, in order to melt the copper materials (Cu) from the oxidized metallic particles 15, and so as to collect the copper materials (Cu) as a copper ingot 19. In FIG. 3, for a material having a mass M and a specific weight C₁, the required heat Q for heating the material from T₁° C to T₂° C may be obtained with the following equation: Q=M×C ₁(T2−T ₁).

For example, the oxidized metallic particles 15 may be treated or heated with the high temperature by the high temperature furnace 18 for about 20-180 minutes, and the smaller metallic particles 13 may also be treated or heated with the high temperature by the high temperature oven 14 for about 20-180 minutes, to allow the materials to be suitably or completely burned or heated. The collected copper materials (Cu) or the copper ingot 19 may also be packaged in a process 20, in order to form the products 21 of the copper ingot 19, that may comprise a great percentage of the copper materials contained therein.

While heating or treating the oxidized metallic particles 15 or the smaller metallic particles 13, the oxidized and the hydrogen materials may be converted into H₂O and/or CO₂, etc., and the copper materials (Cu) may be heated or converted into CuO or pure Cu materials. Two examples of the chemical reactions are shown as follows: Cu(OH)₂ (heated)→CuO+H₂O CuO+Cu(OH)₂+C (heated)→2Cu+H₂O+CO₂

It is to be noted that the carbon materials contained in the oxidized metallic particles 15 and/or the smaller metallic particles 13 may be burned and may further facilitate the burning or heating operation to the oxidized metallic particles 15 and/or the smaller metallic particles 13, to allow the oxidized metallic particles 15 and/or the smaller metallic particles 13 to be suitably or completely burned or heated.

As shown in FIG. 2, alternatively, without being ground or crushed into the smaller metallic particles 13, the dehydrated metallic mud or sludge 12 may also be directly disposed into and treated with the high temperature oven 14, for being heated to remove the hydrogen materials form the metallic particles 13, and to convert the metallic particles 13 into the oxidized metallic particles 15.

In operation, for example, when a metallic sludge or mud of about 3800 Kg is collected, there will contain about 375 Kg (about 10%) of the copper ion materials therein and about 2660 Kg (about 70%) of the water therein. After the dehydrating process 11, about 1860 Kg (about 70%) of the water will be evaporated, in order to form the metallic sludge or mud having a decreased weight to about 1940 Kg (3800-1860 Kg), which may still contain about 370 Kg of the copper ion materials therein and may still contain about 740 Kg of the water therein.

After heating with the high temperature oven 14, the water of about 740 Kg will be completely evaporated, to further decrease the weight of the metallic sludge or mud to about 1200 Kg (1940-740 Kg). In addition, after the chemical reaction, a water of about 110 Kg may be generated, such that the weight of the metallic sludge or mud may further be decreased to about 1090 Kg (1200-110 Kg) and to form the dried metallic sludge or mud, and an oxidized metallic particles 15 of about 404 Kg may thus be formed or obtained.

After being heated with the high temperature furnace 18, the copper ingot 19 of about 200 Kg may be formed or obtained or recycled. Without the recycling processes or method in accordance with the present invention, the metallic mud or sludge may be simply dumped into the ground, and may thus seriously pollute our soil in the earth. Now, with the recycling processes or method in accordance with the present invention, the metallic mud or sludge may be dehydrated and converted into the oxidized metallic particles 15 and the copper ingot 19 that may be formed as products and may be used to manufacture the other products, without polluting our environment.

Accordingly, the method in accordance with the present invention may be used for recycling and converting the metallic sludge or mud material into useful metal products.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A method for recycling metallic sludge material comprising: collecting and precipitating a metallic sludge, dehydrating the metallic sludge into a dehydrated metallic sludge, heating the dehydrated metallic sludge to a temperature ranging from 550 to 850° C., in order to remove hydrogen materials form the dehydrated metallic sludge, and to convert the dehydrated metallic sludge into oxidized metallic particles.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising packaging the oxidized metallic particles to form as a product.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising crushing the dehydrated metallic sludge into small metallic particles, before heating the dehydrated metallic sludge.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising heating the oxidized metallic particles to a temperature ranging from 1100 to 1600° C., in order to convert the oxidized metallic particles into a metal ingot.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising packaging the metal ingot to form as a product. 